The news has been saturated with President Trump’s shocking Charlottesville remarks in the wake of the tragic death of civil rights protester Heather Heyer. Yet one overlooked consequence, among the many domestic consequences, is that his comments may impact international economic policy. According to the New York Times:
Earlier this week, Mrs. May had said that Mr. Trump’s remarks were “a matter for him,” but she went further during a visit to the southern English city of Portsmouth, saying there was “no equivalence between those who propound fascist views and those who oppose them.”
May’s increasingly critical remarks come as a response to domestic critics who are pushing her to rescind an invitation extended to Trump to visit the UK. The problem for May, not surprisingly, is that the withdrawal of an invitation would almost surely sour her relationship with Trump and endanger May’s attempts to secure a UK-US trade agreement after Brexit. As a result, she has stood by, for now, the invitation. But with weakened standing and domestic support, May’s political calculus could undergo a dramatic change in the months ahead, and with it the prospects of a robust Anglo-American trade deal.